14 million children in need of humanitarian aid in Sudan: UNICEF
June 26, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – An estimated 14 million children in Sudan urgently need humanitarian assistance, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) said.
This is more than half of Sudan’s 24 million children, with the majority out of school.
The Executive Director of UNICEF, Catherine Russel said children across Sudan are continuing to pay a devastating price for the conflict raging in the country.
The official was on a visit to Sudan, a country at war since mid-April last year.
“More than a year into this brutal war, the pain and suffering of children in Sudan continue to grow,” said Russell.
“Whether trapped between the frontlines, forced from their homes, or witnessing their communities torn apart, children’s lives have been turned upside down. This is the biggest child displacement crisis in the world. Children do not start wars, but they pay the highest price. We need the world to know what is happening to the children of Sudan and insist that all parties stop the violence and end this war,” she added.
Also alarming are reports of serious rights violations against children, with more than 3,800 children reportedly killed or injured since the escalation in April 2023.
In North Darfur, over 400 children have reportedly been killed and maimed in the recent escalation in the fighting in and around El Fasher, while the continued use of explosive weapons in populated areas is creating further risks for children and families.
Russel also expressed concerns over the fate of civilians are trapped in the fighting and less than a week ago the Saudi Maternity hospital, the remaining functioning hospital providing maternal and paediatric services in El Fasher shelled.
Nearly 9 million children are reportedly grappling with acute food insecurity and lack of access to safe drinking water. Almost 4 million children under five suffer from acute malnutrition, with 730,000 projected to be at imminent risk of dying.
In Sudan, Russell met several children who reportedly shared painful stories of loss.
Areeg, an 11-year-old girl, described how she fled her home when war came to Khartoum and that her friend next door had been killed. Areeg and her family forcefully fled fighting in Al Jazirah state, before ending up in a tent in Port Sudan.
“Life here is difficult,” said Areeg, adding “Leaving Khartoum made me very sad”.
There are a several other devastating testimonies children shared with UNICEF.
“The war is creating a lethal combination of displacement, disease and hunger – the perfect storm for a conflict-induced famine and the catastrophic loss of children’s lives,” said Russell, adding, “With 17 million children not in school, the war could have a generational impact on the lives of these children.”
UNICEF is urging all parties to end grave violations against children, including the killing and maiming of children, sexual violence, recruitment into armed groups, and attacks against schools and hospitals. Civilians, it further stressed, including children and women, and civilian installations, must be protected at all times.
In addition to calls for a ceasefire and steps towards a lasting peace, the UN Children Agency urged immediate and unfettered humanitarian access across conflict lines and borders, including Darfur, Al Jazirah, Khartoum and Kordofan.
“Children displaced in Sudan and those who have fled across borders all told me they want the same two things,” explained Russell, adding “They want to return home, and they want the war to end.”
Meanwhile, UNICEF requires $840 million to deliver a package of child protection, education, health, nutrition, water, sanitation and cash assistance for children in Sudan.
(ST)